Monday, April 18, 2011

Into Africa: Safaris and Savannahs

African Linda (Linda MacLean)

My childhood seems a little dull compared to my African friends. My pets were dogs and budgies rather than monkeys and rhino beetles. Wildlife lurking in the bush on my childhood camping forays consisted of the occasional black bear and wiley raccoon, not lions, rhinos, leopards or anything that might consider me seriously edible. Niagra Falls is magnificent but no MacDonald's can be found hovering near the edge of Victoria Falls. My friends spoke French as a second language, not Shona and Ndebele, and how many of us have met a real witch doctor? Exactly.

So my African friend, Linda MacLean, made a fitting model for prowling the savannah wearing the Swahili Basket vest. As a woman born in Zimbabwe and a flight attendent for the Rhodesian airlines, she's seen most of Africa and a piece of her heart remains on the continent. Today Linda is my friend and semiu-neighbour, sharing this neck of the Canadian weoods with me, but, like me, she creates jewellry as well as collects for sale anything that evokes the country she loves. To learn more about Linda and her experiences, check out her articles here: www.ezinearticles.com/?expert=Linda_Maclean